Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent discussions he has had with the Competition and Markets Authority on enforcement action against companies operating misleading subscription models.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act (DMCCA) 2024 sets out new consumer protection rules for subscription contracts. Once the rules are in force, traders will have to provide clear information about subscription contracts before a consumer signs up, ensure that arrangements to exit the contract are straightforward, and provide a 14-day cooling-off period after a 12month+ contract or trial auto-renews.

The government has recently published its response to the Consultation on the Implementation of the new Subscription Contracts Regime: Consultation on the implementation of the new subscription contracts regime - GOV.UK. We engaged with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) during the consultation.

The CMA and local Trading Standards can take enforcement action against breaches of consumer protection law, including breaches of the existing and new subscription rules once they are in force. The DMCCA gives the CMA new powers to impose fines of up to 10% of global turnover on businesses who infringe consumer protection law. We will continue to engage with the CMA ahead of new regulations commencing.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the prevalence of deceptive online subscription practices, including misleading free trials and unclear recurring payment terms.

Answered by Kate Dearden - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act (DMCCA) 2024 sets out new consumer protection rules for subscription contracts. Once the rules are in force, traders will have to provide clear information about subscription contracts before a consumer signs up, ensure that arrangements to exit the contract are straightforward, and provide a 14-day cooling-off period after a 12month+ contract or trial auto-renews.

Secondary legislation is required to implement the regime. We consulted on proposals and the Government Response can be found here: Consultation on the implementation of the new subscription contracts regime - GOV.UK.

The new protections will save the average consumer £14 per month for every unwanted subscription they cancel. The Department for Business and Trade published an Impact Assessment alongside the DMCCA: Subscription traps: annex 2 impact assessment.

Question to the Attorney General:

To ask the Solicitor General, what recent guidance has been issued to prosecutors regarding enforcement against companies engaging in misleading subscription practices.

Answered by Ellie Reeves - Solicitor General (Attorney General's Office)

The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 sets out new consumer protection rules for subscription contracts. Once the rules are in force, traders will have to provide clear information about subscription contracts before a consumer signs up, ensure that arrangements to exit the contract are straightforward, and provide a 14-day cooling-off period after a 12month+ contract or trial auto-renews.

The government has recently published its response to the Consultation on the Implementation of the new Subscription Contracts Regime: Consultation on the implementation of the new subscription contracts regime - GOV.UK.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and local Trading Standards can take enforcement action against breaches of consumer protection law, including breaches of the existing and new subscription rules once they are in force. The DMCCA gives the CMA new powers to impose fines of up to 10% of global turnover on businesses who infringe consumer protection law. We will continue to engage with the CMA ahead of new regulations commencing.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of exemptions and higher mileage allowances for Motability Scheme users with significant healthcare travel needs, including applying the previous average annual allowance of 12,000 miles per annum.

Answered by Stephen Timms - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)

Responsibility for the terms and administration of the Scheme sits with Motability Foundation and its Board of Governors.

The changes to the leasing package were announced on 26 March and include reducing the mileage allowance from 20,000 per year to 10,000 per year. Changes only apply to new leases and there are no changes to the mileage allowance of existing leases. Motability Foundation have advised that approximately 75% of customers on the Scheme already use less miles than the proposed new mileage allowance. They have acknowledged that there will be an impact on some customers and are considering if the impact can be mitigated in some limited circumstances.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of postal delays on the delivery of postal ballots for 2026 local elections.

Answered by Samantha Dixon - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Local Returning Officers undertake stringent risk assessments and contingency planning as part of running elections, including the monitoring of known or emerging postal issues.

Officials in the Ministry of Housing and Communities and Local Government meet regularly with suppliers to discuss matters relating to elections including capacity, capability and contingency planning, and I will meet with senior representatives of Royal Mail to discuss preparedness ahead of the May elections.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the cost to the health service of injuries related to accidents involving hire e-bikes in the last 12 months.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The information requested is not collected centrally and no such estimate has been made by the Department.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to introduce safeguards to ensure that patients presenting with symptoms indicative of serious conditions, including heart arrhythmias, are prioritised appropriately in GP triage systems.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

General practices (GPs) are independent contractors to the National Health Service and are responsible for the safe operation of their appointment and triage arrangements, including ensuring that patients with symptoms suggestive of any serious conditions are identified and prioritised appropriately.

It is for individual practices to decide how triage systems are configured and overseen within local workflows, and we are clear that GPs must be able to exercise their own clinical judgement when triaging patients, so that those with potentially serious symptoms are identified promptly and directed to the right care.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many illegal migrants have (a) arrived in and (b) left the UK under the government's one in, one out deal.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

As of 6 March, 380 people have been transferred from France to the UK via the new safe, legal route and 377 people have been returned to France. It is not appropriate to provide a continual update on each phase of the operation, not least as it involves sensitive information that could prove valuable to the organised immigration crime gangs that are behind small boats crossings.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment has been made of the adequacy of levels of payments to local authorities outlined in the Funding instruction for local authorities: Asylum Dispersal Grant 2026-2027.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Asylum Dispersal Grant supports local authorities with a contribution to the costs and pressures of accommodating asylum seekers across all eligible accommodation types in their area. The grant is not intended to meet full costs, but to provide a contribution towards costs incurred by councils, consistent with affordability, value for money and the Local Government Funding Doctrine.

The Home Office does not hold a single estimate of the total costs incurred by councils in delivering the services outlined in the Asylum Dispersal Grant Funding Instruction, as costs vary significantly by local authority. Each local authority is free to determine how best to utilise the funding but for monitoring and evaluation purposes must be able to demonstrate that they have fulfilled the eligibility conditions in supporting Asylum Seekers in their area.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate has been made of the costs incurred by councils for the provision of the services outlined in the Funding instruction for local authorities: Asylum Dispersal Grant 2026-2027.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Asylum Dispersal Grant supports local authorities with a contribution to the costs and pressures of accommodating asylum seekers across all eligible accommodation types in their area. The grant is not intended to meet full costs, but to provide a contribution towards costs incurred by councils, consistent with affordability, value for money and the Local Government Funding Doctrine.

The Home Office does not hold a single estimate of the total costs incurred by councils in delivering the services outlined in the Asylum Dispersal Grant Funding Instruction, as costs vary significantly by local authority. Each local authority is free to determine how best to utilise the funding but for monitoring and evaluation purposes must be able to demonstrate that they have fulfilled the eligibility conditions in supporting Asylum Seekers in their area.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she mas made of the performance of the Border Security Command since it was established in July 2024; and on what metrics she judges its performance.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

Since the Border Security Command was established in July 2024, we have brought together a wide range of partners to organised immigration crime (OIC) and reduce small boat crossings. We have already delivered a significant amount of activity; in 2025, there were 3,625 law enforcement disruptions of OIC, 37% more than in 2024 (2,648).

The Border Security Command has a monitoring and evaluation strategy in place which seeks to robustly assess the performance and impact of the Command against its priorities and outcome framework. As is required by the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Act 2025, the Border Security Commander will publish an annual report later this year reflecting on the system's performance for the previous financial year.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to introduce a licensing regime for e-bike hire operators operating in public spaces.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Yes. The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, currently at Report Stage in the House of Lords, will empower our local leaders to license shared cycle schemes. Licences will also include minimum standard conditions to ensure a consistent national baseline of safety and operability. We will implement licensing through a combination of regulations and guidance following detailed public consultation.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the impact of the war in Iran on household budgets in Fylde.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government keeps the impact of global developments on household budgets under close review. The economic impact of the situation in the Middle East will depend on its severity, duration and the extent of disruption to energy supplies. The Government does not produce constituency level assessments of the impact of specific geopolitical events on household budgets. Official forecasts are published by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility.

Living standards have now risen 2.1% this Parliament, after falling over the last Parliament, and real household disposable income per capita is £700 higher in the last 12 months compared to the final year of the last Parliament.

More of the decisions the Government has made to ease pressures on the cost of living have now come into effect this month. The energy price cap fell, taking £117 off the average household bill. The National Minimum and Living Wage both went up – worth up to £1,500 a year for full-time young workers. Millions of pensioners are now getting up to a £575 boost on their State Pension thanks to our Triple Lock commitment. The two-child limit has been scrapped, lifting half a million children out of poverty.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of safety regulations governing dockless e-bike hire schemes operating in urban areas.

Answered by Simon Lightwood - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Shared cycle schemes can have huge benefits but for them to be a success across the country we must minimise negative impacts such as obstructive parking or antisocial behaviour. I know that these negative impacts are not just an inconvenience for many people, but rather a real safety issue. That is why the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill will enable our local leaders to license these schemes and why all licences will include minimum standard conditions set by the Secretary of State, with safety being a core consideration.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with NHS England on improving continuity of care between secondary care and primary care following A&E attendance.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

My Rt Hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, set out clear ambitions as part of the 10-Year Health Plan around moving the National Health Service from analogue to digital, harnessing technology to allow patients to better manage their own care. The Medium Term Planning Framework reiterates this focus, including achieving full compliance with the minimum standards set out in the Digital Capabilities Framework.

NHS England is supporting integrated care boards and providers to improve information sharing and coordination at discharge from urgent and emergency care, so primary care teams have timely access to relevant clinical information and can arrange appropriate follow‑up.

This includes continued rollout of the NHS Federated Data Platform, which supports integrated care systems to connect data across urgent, acute, and community services, helping to improve care transitions and follow‑up after accident and emergency attendance.

We are continuing to work across Government to cut red tape and improve ways of working, including work to improve the patient experience at the interface of primary and secondary care.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of requiring banks to implement stronger safeguards or alerts for recurring payments initiated after free trials.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act (DMCCA) 2024 sets out new consumer protection rules for subscription contracts. Once the rules are in force, traders will have to provide clear information about subscription contracts before a consumer signs up, ensure that arrangements to exit the contract are straightforward, and provide a 14-day cooling-off period after a 12month+ contract or trial auto-renews.

Secondary legislation is required to implement the regime. We consulted on proposals and the Government Response can be found here: Consultation on the implementation of the new subscription contracts regime - GOV.UK

The new protections will save the average consumer £14 per month for every unwanted subscription they cancel. The Department for Business and Trade published an Impact Assessment alongside the DMCCA: Subscription traps: annex 2 impact assessment

The DMCCA requirements will apply to traders offering subscriptions and the Government currently has no plans to introduce new requirements on banks to tackle subscription traps. The Government will keep the effectiveness of the new rules under review.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps are being taken to ensure that administration fees and late payment charges applied by estate management companies are proportionate and transparent.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 18 December 2025 (HCWS1210).

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what protections are in place for freehold homeowners who were required to enter into management agreements through TP1 transfer documents at the point of purchase.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 18 December 2025 (HCWS1210).

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions his Department has had with (a) regulators and (b) industry bodies on reform of private estate management practices.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 18 December 2025 (HCWS1210).

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions his Department has had with regulators or industry bodies on reform of private estate management practices.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement made on 18 December 2025 (HCWS1210).

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many deportation orders issued against foreign national offenders resulted in (a) enforced removals, (b) voluntary departures and (c) no removal in each of the last five years.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

Some of the information that you have requested regarding FNOs is not available from published statistics.

The Home Office does publish data on FNO returns in the quarterly Immigration System Statistics release which can be viewed at, Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK. This publication includes quarterly data on enforced, voluntary and port FNO returns (of which ‘deportations’ are a legal subset) and are published in table ‘Ret_D03’ of the returns detailed datasets accompanying the release. The Home Office also recently published figures on FNO returns (which include both enforced and voluntary returns) between 1 December 2022 and 31 January 2026, which can be found here: Returns from the UK between 1 December 2022 and 31 January 2026 - GOV.UK.

Over 8,700 foreign national offenders (FNOs) have been returned from the UK under this government, and we will continue to do everything we can to remove these vile criminals from our streets.

The Home Office provides the data on FNOs who are subject to deportation action, living in the community. These are published quarterly in the Immigration Enforcement Data, which is available at, Migration transparency data - GOV.UK.

Work is currently underway to publish more detailed information on FNOs subject to deportation. Further information on this work can be found at: Statistics on foreign national offenders and the immigration system - GOV.UK.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the average time is between (a) the issuing of a deportation order and (b) the removal of the individual from the UK in the most recent year for which data is available.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

Some of the information that you have requested regarding FNOs is not available from published statistics.

The Home Office does publish data on FNO returns in the quarterly Immigration System Statistics release which can be viewed at, Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK. This publication includes quarterly data on enforced, voluntary and port FNO returns (of which ‘deportations’ are a legal subset) and are published in table ‘Ret_D03’ of the returns detailed datasets accompanying the release. The Home Office also recently published figures on FNO returns (which include both enforced and voluntary returns) between 1 December 2022 and 31 January 2026, which can be found here: Returns from the UK between 1 December 2022 and 31 January 2026 - GOV.UK.

Over 8,700 foreign national offenders (FNOs) have been returned from the UK under this government, and we will continue to do everything we can to remove these vile criminals from our streets.

The Home Office provides the data on FNOs who are subject to deportation action, living in the community. These are published quarterly in the Immigration Enforcement Data, which is available at, Migration transparency data - GOV.UK.

Work is currently underway to publish more detailed information on FNOs subject to deportation. Further information on this work can be found at: Statistics on foreign national offenders and the immigration system - GOV.UK.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many deportation orders were issued against foreign national offenders in each of the last five years.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

Some of the information that you have requested regarding FNOs is not available from published statistics.

The Home Office does publish data on FNO returns in the quarterly Immigration System Statistics release which can be viewed at, Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK. This publication includes quarterly data on enforced, voluntary and port FNO returns (of which ‘deportations’ are a legal subset) and are published in table ‘Ret_D03’ of the returns detailed datasets accompanying the release. The Home Office also recently published figures on FNO returns (which include both enforced and voluntary returns) between 1 December 2022 and 31 January 2026, which can be found here: Returns from the UK between 1 December 2022 and 31 January 2026 - GOV.UK.

Over 8,700 foreign national offenders (FNOs) have been returned from the UK under this government, and we will continue to do everything we can to remove these vile criminals from our streets.

The Home Office provides the data on FNOs who are subject to deportation action, living in the community. These are published quarterly in the Immigration Enforcement Data, which is available at, Migration transparency data - GOV.UK.

Work is currently underway to publish more detailed information on FNOs subject to deportation. Further information on this work can be found at: Statistics on foreign national offenders and the immigration system - GOV.UK.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many foreign national offenders subject to a deportation order remain in the UK for which the latest data is available.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

Some of the information that you have requested regarding FNOs is not available from published statistics.

The Home Office does publish data on FNO returns in the quarterly Immigration System Statistics release which can be viewed at, Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK. This publication includes quarterly data on enforced, voluntary and port FNO returns (of which ‘deportations’ are a legal subset) and are published in table ‘Ret_D03’ of the returns detailed datasets accompanying the release. The Home Office also recently published figures on FNO returns (which include both enforced and voluntary returns) between 1 December 2022 and 31 January 2026, which can be found here: Returns from the UK between 1 December 2022 and 31 January 2026 - GOV.UK.

Over 8,700 foreign national offenders (FNOs) have been returned from the UK under this government, and we will continue to do everything we can to remove these vile criminals from our streets.

The Home Office provides the data on FNOs who are subject to deportation action, living in the community. These are published quarterly in the Immigration Enforcement Data, which is available at, Migration transparency data - GOV.UK.

Work is currently underway to publish more detailed information on FNOs subject to deportation. Further information on this work can be found at: Statistics on foreign national offenders and the immigration system - GOV.UK.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether services provided by CWT UK Group Ltd for UK immigration enforcement include (a) deportation or enforced removals, (b) voluntary returns, (c) domestic travel and (d) international travel for individuals in the immigration system.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

CWT provides travel services to Immigration Enforcement via a contract procured under the Public Contract Regulations 2015, awarded in 2017. This contract covers the payments that have been made to CWT UK Group Ltd for UK Immigration Enforcement services since 1 October 2024, and currently expires on 30th April 2027. This is the sole contract held with CWT by the Home Office for Immigration Enforcement.

Details of the services provided under this contract can be found at the following link Provision of Travel Services for Immigration Purposes. - Contracts Finder, which also contains a redacted copy of the contract which can be downloaded.

CWT provides travel services related to public expense removals, and immigration enforcement activity. This primarily includes international travel for deportation, enforced returns, and voluntary returns. In addition to international travel the contract also provides some limited immigration enforcement related domestic travel, such as internal flights. The CWT contract does not provide domestic travel services for persons within the Asylum system.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what services are provided to her Department by CWT UK Group Ltd under arrangements relating to UK immigration enforcement.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

CWT provides travel services to Immigration Enforcement via a contract procured under the Public Contract Regulations 2015, awarded in 2017. This contract covers the payments that have been made to CWT UK Group Ltd for UK Immigration Enforcement services since 1 October 2024, and currently expires on 30th April 2027. This is the sole contract held with CWT by the Home Office for Immigration Enforcement.

Details of the services provided under this contract can be found at the following link Provision of Travel Services for Immigration Purposes. - Contracts Finder, which also contains a redacted copy of the contract which can be downloaded.

CWT provides travel services related to public expense removals, and immigration enforcement activity. This primarily includes international travel for deportation, enforced returns, and voluntary returns. In addition to international travel the contract also provides some limited immigration enforcement related domestic travel, such as internal flights. The CWT contract does not provide domestic travel services for persons within the Asylum system.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will set out the contractual basis for payments to CWT UK Group Ltd in connection with UK Immigration Enforcement services since 1 October 2024.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

CWT provides travel services to Immigration Enforcement via a contract procured under the Public Contract Regulations 2015, awarded in 2017. This contract covers the payments that have been made to CWT UK Group Ltd for UK Immigration Enforcement services since 1 October 2024, and currently expires on 30th April 2027. This is the sole contract held with CWT by the Home Office for Immigration Enforcement.

Details of the services provided under this contract can be found at the following link Provision of Travel Services for Immigration Purposes. - Contracts Finder, which also contains a redacted copy of the contract which can be downloaded.

CWT provides travel services related to public expense removals, and immigration enforcement activity. This primarily includes international travel for deportation, enforced returns, and voluntary returns. In addition to international travel the contract also provides some limited immigration enforcement related domestic travel, such as internal flights. The CWT contract does not provide domestic travel services for persons within the Asylum system.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the government has any plans to amend the Localism Act 2011 in this Parliament.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Localism Act 2011 covers a broad range of local government and community empowerment matters, and the government keeps this legislative framework under review. The government is committed to widening and deepening devolution across England, rebuilding and reforming local government and giving communities stronger tools to shape their local areas. The government is delivering on this through the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, by devolving powers to local leaders across areas such as transport, skills, housing and growth, and by enhancing community empowerment, including greater influence over local decision-making and control over local assets.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish the (a) title and (b) reference number of all (i) contracts, (ii) framework agreements and (iii) call-off arrangement under which payments have been made to CWT UK Group Ltd for UK Immigration Enforcement services since 1 October 2024.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

CWT provides travel services to Immigration Enforcement via a contract procured under the Public Contract Regulations 2015, awarded in 2017. This contract covers the payments that have been made to CWT UK Group Ltd for UK Immigration Enforcement services since 1 October 2024, and currently expires on 30th April 2027. This is the sole contract held with CWT by the Home Office for Immigration Enforcement.

Details of the services provided under this contract can be found at the following link Provision of Travel Services for Immigration Purposes. - Contracts Finder, which also contains a redacted copy of the contract which can be downloaded.

CWT provides travel services related to public expense removals, and immigration enforcement activity. This primarily includes international travel for deportation, enforced returns, and voluntary returns. In addition to international travel the contract also provides some limited immigration enforcement related domestic travel, such as internal flights. The CWT contract does not provide domestic travel services for persons within the Asylum system.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of sanctions available to local authorities under the Localism Act 2011 in ensuring compliance with councillors’ Codes of Conduct.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The current local authority standards and conduct regime is in certain key aspects ineffectual, inconsistently applied, and lacking in adequate powers to effectively sanction members found in serious breach of their codes of conduct. This is why, in November 2025, we announced our intention to legislate to introduce a clearer and consistently applied conduct system that will help local elected members to hold themselves and their colleagues to account. We will do this when Parliamentary time allows.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what metrics are being used to assess the effectiveness of the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government published the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee Performance Framework in April 2025, which sets out how forces will be held to account. It includes measures on crime and other key indicators, including growth of neighbourhood policing. The framework outlines to forces and the public the performance measures used to assess progress. The framework can be found at this link: neighbourhood policing guarantee performance framework

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the accessibility of GP appointment systems for patients who do not have access to the internet.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

We understand that not all patients have access to or want to use online services. The GP Contract is clear that patients should always have the option of telephoning or visiting their practice in person, and all online tools must always be provided in addition to, rather than as a replacement for, other channels for accessing a general practice (GP).

The 2026/27 GP Contract includes a new requirement for practices to enable online appointment requests throughout the duration of core opening hours, which will ease the pressure on phone lines for people who prefer to telephone.

The Office for National Statistics’ Health Insight Survey from March 2026 shows that 73.7% of patients reported it was “easy” to contact their GP, up from 60.9% in July 2024.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will make an estimate of the number of appointments that were cancelled as a result of doctor strikes in Lancashire.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

On 22 March 2026, the Government made a formal offer to the British Medical Association (BMA) Resident Doctors Committee (RDC) to seek to resolve their dispute. This was the product of joint negotiation with the BMA RDC officers. This offer was rejected by the committee on 25 March and the BMA RDC immediately called industrial action for 7 to 13 April 2026. In the last year, the BMA RDC have called four rounds of strike action in England.

NHS England records the number of rescheduled appointments and workforce absences during strike actions, including those in Lancashire. The latest data for April is pending, but data on the from the previous three rounds in 2025 is available at the following link:

https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/preparedness-for-potential-industrial-action-in-the-nhs/

Due to the dedication of National Health Service staff, the NHS delivered almost 95% of planned activity during the five days of strike action in December 2025, similar to the levels of activity during the November strikes and surpassing levels in July.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of trends in (a) shop theft, (b) mobile phone theft and (c) drug offences over the past 12 months.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) publishes official statistics on the offences recorded by the police in England and Wales on a quarterly basis, including shop theft and drug offences. The most recent data available is for the year ending September 2025, which can be accessed here:

https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/datasets/crimeinenglandandwalesappendixtables

Theft offences recorded by the police where a mobile phone was stolen are not separately identifiable in the police recorded crime data published by the ONS.

The ONS does collect data on the number of people who have been victims of mobile phone theft, as part of the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW). The most recent data available is for the year ending March 2025, which can be accessed here:

https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/datasets/focusonpropertycrimeappendixtables

The Metropolitan Police publish the number of incidents of theft from the person and personal robbery which involved the theft if a mobile phone. This data is available on the Metropolitan Police’s Crime Dashboard, which can be accessed here:

https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/metropolitan.police.service/viz/MonthlyCrimeDataNewCats/Coversheet

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what criteria are used to determine when central government intervention in a local authority is warranted in relation to standards or governance failures.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Secretary of State must be satisfied that a local authority is failing to carry out its functions in compliance with the Best Value Duty before intervening on a statutory basis under section 15 of the Local Government Act 1999.

The Secretary of State’s decision to intervene, when, and what form that intervention takes relies on the analysis of a complex set of data and circumstances. This assessment is based on the standards set out in statutory guidance for the local government sector on how to fulfil the Best Value Duty.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to support park home residents.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to Questions UIN 115901 on 9 March 2026, UIN 63787 on 4 July 2025, UIN 114577 on 2 March 2026, UIN 110494 on 11 February 2026, and UIN 110492 on 11 February 2026.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer to question 39735 of 27 Mar 2025 on Park Homes, what further engagement he has had with the sector in relation to the commission on the sale of park homes.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 115901 on 9 March 2026.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with stakeholders, including the British Veterinary Association, the RSPCA, and pharmaceutical manufacturers, on proposed changes to the regulation of parasiticides.

Answered by Angela Eagle - Minister of State (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) leads the cross‑government Pharmaceuticals in the Environment (PiE) Group and is engaging with stakeholders on the environmental risks of flea and tick treatments containing fipronil and imidacloprid.

Engagement has included several meetings with individual organisations, including the British Veterinary Association, the RSPCA and the pharmaceutical industry, as well as a PiE stakeholder workshop in Summer 2025 involving veterinary professionals, charities, retailers, industry and academia.

The VMD has also launched an eight week Call for Evidence as part of its review of the distribution categories of veterinary medicines containing fipronil or imidacloprid. This open process invites evidence and views from all interested stakeholders to ensure that any future regulatory decisions are informed by robust evidence and consider impacts on animal health and welfare, the environment, pet owners and businesses.

No decisions have yet been taken on regulatory changes, and stakeholder engagement will continue as the evidence base is considered.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of vacancies for newly qualified midwives in the North West of England.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

The Department does not hold information on the number of vacancies for newly qualified midwives in the Northwest of England.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will introduce measures to cap or regulate service charges imposed by park home site operators.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government has no current plans to legislate to prevent the use of terms in agreements requiring park home residents to pay variable service charges, but we will keep the matter under review.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the regulatory framework governing park homes in England.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government is committed to strengthening protections for park home residents and improving the standards of park home site management. We will continue to keep the relevant legislation under review.

I otherwise refer the hon. Member to the answers given to Questions UIN 63787 on 4 July 2025, UIN 115901 on 9 March 2026, UIN 63787 on 4 July 2025, UIN 114577 on 2 March 2026, UIN 110494 on 11 February 2026, and UIN 110492 on 11 February 2026.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the First-tier Tribunal in resolving park home disputes.

Answered by Sarah Sackman - Minister of State (Ministry of Justice)

No specific assessment has been made of the effectiveness of the First-tier Tribunal Property Chamber in resolving park home disputes. However, the Ministry of Justice regularly considers the performance of tribunals more widely. Statistics are published on a quarterly basis and can be found at: htpps://www.gov.uk/government/collections/tribunals-statistics

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether Olly Robbins will be granted a period of gardening leave.

Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Government does not comment on the individual terms and conditions of employment or personnel matters relating to individual civil servants.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many of the additional neighbourhood policing personnel announced since April last year have been recruited to (a) Lancashire Constabulary and (b) each police force in England and Wales.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

On 7 April 2026, the Home Office published an ad-hoc statistical release on the growth in neighbourhood policing personnel in England and Wales, as at 28 February 2026, compared with 31 March 2025. This information is based on provisional management information, and is available broken down by Police Force Area here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/neighbourhood-policing-programme-as-at-28-february-2026

This ad-hoc statistical release is based on limited management information, meaning it is not possible for the Home Office to determine what proportion of the additional 3,123 neighbourhood policing personnel (at the 28 February 2026 snapshot) are new recruits or redeployed officers from other roles.

Police forces have been able to approach the neighbourhood policing programme in a way that best achieves local needs and varied crime demands. Therefore, the precise mix of redeployment and recruitment has been for forces to decide.

Finalised statistics will be published in the Accredited Official 'Police Workforce, England and Wales' statistics in July 2026.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what proportion of the 3,123 additional neighbourhood officers represent (a) new recruits and (b) redeployed officers from other roles.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

On 7 April 2026, the Home Office published an ad-hoc statistical release on the growth in neighbourhood policing personnel in England and Wales, as at 28 February 2026, compared with 31 March 2025. This information is based on provisional management information, and is available broken down by Police Force Area here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/neighbourhood-policing-programme-as-at-28-february-2026

This ad-hoc statistical release is based on limited management information, meaning it is not possible for the Home Office to determine what proportion of the additional 3,123 neighbourhood policing personnel (at the 28 February 2026 snapshot) are new recruits or redeployed officers from other roles.

Police forces have been able to approach the neighbourhood policing programme in a way that best achieves local needs and varied crime demands. Therefore, the precise mix of redeployment and recruitment has been for forces to decide.

Finalised statistics will be published in the Accredited Official ‘Police Workforce, England and Wales’ statistics in July 2026.

Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many staff members have left their roles working in 10 Downing Street in each of the last 12 months; and how many of those received a redundancy payment in each of the last 12 months.

Answered by Nick Thomas-Symonds - Paymaster General and Minister for the Cabinet Office

Data on the number of officials in the Cabinet Office is published monthly at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cabinet-office-workforce-management-data-2023-to-2024. Business Unit level data including for Business Units in Number 10 Downing Street is published quarterly at https://www.data.gov.uk/dataset/ff76be1f-4f37-4bef-beb7-32b259413be1/organogram-cabinet-office. We do not routinely comment on individual HR matters.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to help ensure the safety of the Jewish community in (a) Fylde constituency, (b) North West England and (c) the United Kingdom.

Answered by Sarah Jones - Minister of State (Home Office)

The Government is committed to the safety of Jewish communities in our country. Everyone should feel safe to practise their faith and participate in public life, free from intimidation or fear.

In 2026/27, we are providing record funding to protect faith communities, including £28.4 million through the Jewish Community Protective Security Grant to provide protective security measures at synagogues, Jewish educational establishments and other community sites.

Eligible sites can apply for support for protective security measures through the Grant. The Grant is administered by the Community Security Trust (CST) on behalf of the Home Office, and full guidance on how to apply is available on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/jewish-community-protective-security-grant

Earlier this month, the Home Office also announced an additional £5 million to increase deployments under Project Servator, which places specialist officers unpredictably in public spaces to deter criminal activity and provide visible reassurance. This funding will initially focus on supporting communities, particularly Jewish and other faith communities, in London and Manchester.

We continue to work closely with the police and other partners to review threats and ensure that proportionate and effective protections are in place where they are needed.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the answer to question 125257 of 16 April 2026 on Undocumented Migrants, how she plans to update hon. Members on those figures; and over what time intervals.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

We are continuously monitoring and evaluating the agreement with France to ensure its effectiveness. There will be a full evaluation at the end of the pilot, and the Home Office is committed to publishing further data at the end of the pilot period.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to issue guidance to the public on the location of illegal migrants who have been moved out of hotel accommodation.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

All asylum seekers residing in a closing hotel will be provided with alternative suitable accommodation. Moves are coordinated by Home Office accommodation providers, and options may include dispersed accommodation, alternative contingency sites, or larger accommodation sites. Individuals may be relocated anywhere within the wider contract region and not necessarily within the same local authority area.

For the safety, security and wellbeing of those being accommodated and staff, the Home Office does not disclose information about accommodation sites which may or may not be utilised to the general public.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure new school meals guidance encourages use of local suppliers.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The government is committed to half of all food served in public settings being either locally sourced or certified to higher environmental standards.

The School Food Standards allow school chefs and cooks creative freedom to adapt to the preferences of the children at their school, source seasonal or local food, and take advantage of price fluctuations.

We are consulting on proposed changes to the School Food Standards in England until 12 June 2026. We will consider guidance for the new standards in due course. Presently, schools can voluntarily follow the Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering, which includes advice around sourcing their school food.

The department is working closely with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs as they develop the Good Food Cycle vision.